


Heights

by JaceofAllTrade



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Acrophobia, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fear of Heights, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:33:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29540337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaceofAllTrade/pseuds/JaceofAllTrade
Summary: Was he really that terrified of heights now? He wasn’t at all before. Before… Before the cliff—
Relationships: Mikage Hisoka & Utsuki Chikage
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	Heights

His hands felt cold and clammy, a different kind of cold than the one he’d experienced on that cold, snowy night he’d met August and April. His heartbeat was thrumming in his ears, a feeling he hadn’t felt in years. His eyes were closed so tightly he wondered if he’d ever be able to open them again. His breaths were labored, it didn’t feel like he was breathing at all actually. And a pit in his stomach so deep he couldn’t bring himself to move.

“Hisoka.”

He barely heard through the rapid beating of his heart.

“I need you to open your eyes, Hisoka.”

He couldn’t. Why couldn’t he? Even with all his might, he couldn’t bring himself to open them. _Why—_

“Hisoka, listen to me. I can’t help you if you don’t open your eyes.”

_Chikage,_ his brain finally pinpointed the voice.

“Please open your eyes. _Hisoka, please._ ”

Sucking in a sharp breath, Hisoka finally forced his eyes open, his vision blurred and weird mixes of blues and reds spotted his vision before it finally cleared into the sight before him.

The first thing he noticed was Chikage across from him several feet away as he held out a hand a little awkwardly as if ready to reach out and grab him. Hisoka was confused for a moment because where was he? Just as his gaze started to wander away from Chikage, his brother spoke up quickly.

“Hisoka!”

His eyes snapped back to Chikage who had this determined look on his face. Right. He was helping him. Helping him with what?

Chikage took a deep breath, “Keep looking at me, alright Hisoka?” His voice held this certain kind of timbre that Hisoka would equate to when August would try to understand them.

_Wait, why was he talking to him like that?_

“Keep your eyes on me.”

“... Chi…” Hisoka attempted to speak, but his throat felt constricted and his voice sounded strained.

Chikage shook his head. “No need to talk, okay? Just eyes on me and don’t move, I’m coming to you.” True to his word, Chikage carefully stepped forward—oh right, he was crouching. Why was he crouching? Why was Hisoka sitting on the ground? Why was Chikage being mindful of his balance? They were on the ground, weren’t they? Why did Chikage need to help him?

_Why couldn’t he move?_

“Remember when we used to have those staring contests?” Chikage brought up suddenly. “We wouldn’t blink for so long that sometimes he thought we were frozen in place. Can you keep my gaze, Hisoka? Until I reach you?”

Why would they do that now?

“I bet I’ll win.”

Fuck this man, Hisoka was winning no matter what.

Chikage chuckled. His eyes crinkled in a way that Hisoka only witnessed when Chikage was speaking to the younger members of Mankai. Fondness. “Always competitive when it comes to me, huh.”

Suppressing an eye roll, Hisoka didn’t want to play anymore and tore his gaze away from Chikage whose eyes widened and rushed forward hurriedly.

“Hisoka, wait—!”

When Hisoka’s eyes landed on something else, it suddenly became all too clear why he couldn’t move and his eyes were closed in the first place. Because he screwed them shut the moment he realized he was on the roof and his body locked up completely, his heartbeat picking up even more as breathing felt like a lost cause.

Distantly, he felt something tug at him as the pit in his stomach lurched and he wanted to do nothing more than touch solid ground than be up there. He was pulled into what he could hardly tell was Chikage’s arms because his body felt so foreign to him.

Carrying him bridal style, Chikage held Hisoka close and covered his eyes before carefully sliding down the roof and touching ground on the balcony where Izumi and Misumi were waiting. Lowering himself to a crouch, he carefully laid Hisoka down and had to pry Hisoka’s hand from his now wrinkled shirt, but let his brother hold onto his hands instead.

“You’re okay now,” Chikage assured quietly as Izumi crouched down across from him.

“Are either of you hurt?”

Shaking his head, Chikage peered down at his brother who was now shaking from the realization that okay, maybe he was a bit scared of heights. Hisoka disliked that look Chikage was giving him though, it didn’t suit him. Hisoka didn’t show weakness often because there’s always that specific look of pity he’d get. It was different with August and Chikage though. While he disliked the look of pity from others, seeing it on his brothers made him want to wipe it from their faces completely. He didn’t like being vulnerable in front of them.

The others were talking, he realized, but he didn’t want to interrupt so he stayed silent and closed his eyes, trying to focus on calming his breath before opening his eyes. Meeting eyes with Chikage, Hisoka nodded his thanks with effort as Chikage scoffed and shook his head. “Just don’t scare us again like that. No more going up on the roof with Misumi or to sleep, you hear? Especially if you’re gonna react in such a way.”

_He sounds like August._

“I don’t wanna carry your ass off the roof every time either.”

_And now he sounds like Chikage._

Hisoka nodded.

“Good. Can I have my hands back now?”

It took some time, but Hisoka managed to release his death grip on them, his eyes lingering on the deep grooves on Chikage’s hands that his nails must’ve dug into but Chikage didn’t seem to mind. It didn’t look like it broke skin, but Hisoka still frowned at the sight. Was he really that terrified of heights now? He wasn’t at all before. Before… Before the cliff—

Before his mind could wander further, Chikage took that moment to carefully pick him up again and addressed the other two, “I’ll take him to his room. And to save his pride, let’s keep this a secret.”

Hisoka had half a mind to smack him for that but he was pretty sure that Chikage would drop him if given the chance.

Izumi and Misumi nodded. “Take care you two,” Izumi waved as Chikage turned to leave.

His brother took slow steps as he silently walked to room 205. However, halfway there, he stopped and took a deep breath, keeping his gaze forward as Hisoka watched his eyes slightly narrow. “You should’ve said something.”

Shaking his head, Hisoka dropped his head onto Chikage’s shoulder and closed his eyes.

A sigh. “Well, I’m just glad you’re not hurt.”

Then, Chikage pulled him closer and started walking again.

“To make you feel better, I’ll eat one marshmallow.”

Hisoka narrowed his visible eye at him as Chikage rushed out a laugh.

“Fine. One sweet, but that’s it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Gekkagumi server is both a curse and a blessing, I love all of you dnjgdjnvdjf


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